In thermal detoxification of acetylene production wastes at the Novgorod Industrial Corporation "Azot", Chem. Abstracts 92 (18); 132404x (1979), Dergachev et al. disclosed purifying acetylene during its production from natural gas to give wastewaters containing 3-5% suspended carbon. The wastewaters were mixed with kerosene to give a scum containing 27% carbon, 11% kerosene and 62% water. The scum was burned in a cyclone type furnace in a current of natural gas which furnace was normally fielded by natural gas and higher acetylenes formed as by-products in the product of acetylene.